CLEVELAND — There was a time when J.D. Martin was a top pitching prospect for the Cleveland Indians. Martin, the 35th overall pick in the 2001 draft, always dreamed of starting a game on the mound at Progessive Field.

Nine years later, Martin will finally get the chance. Wearing a Nationals uniform.

Having never made it with the Indians, in part because of arm injuries, Martin caught on with Washington last season, made the first 15 starts of his big-league career and has since returned to make two more starts this year. Tonight, the 27-year-old right-hander returns to the mound, and this time he'll do it against his former franchise. (There's just all kinds of intriguing Nats-Indians history in this series, isn't there?)

Fausto Carmona, a 19-game winner in 2009 who has battled injuries and inconsistencies since then, starts for Cleveland.

There is no question, IMO, that you guys may be right that Riggs is attempting to throw this series for Manny for whatever reason. Its ludicrous! When given the oppurtunity to "hide" Guzman from the field of play and yet keep him in the game, Riggs decides to play him at one of the most important (defensively) positions in the field??! What gives?

It does make one wonder. It would be hard to concoct a weaker, more-illogical lineup from the Nats roster. Maybe Riggs knows something, or (if one wishes to adopt a conspiratorial complex) maybe "they" want us to look bad 2 days in a row so that You Know Who looks all the better by comparison tomorrow.

I understand why Nieves is in the lineup, Pudge can't catch every game and there really doesn't seem to be anybody else, but when you're starting a huge offensively liability for defensive reasons, why on earth would you start and even bigger offensive liability when you have a guy hitting over .400 on the bench. It's called balancing your lineup to compensate for necessary evils. It's good, though, that he split Harris and Nieves up so that they can kill rallies more effectively. If they were hitting back to back the other seven might actually be able to get something going.

… well now I'm fully on the bandwagon. Not the one which claims Riggleman is a crummy manager; I'm not there yet because he does have a track record. But that day is coming soon if any more lineups like these pop up. Willie Harris as DH?? MM would be the logical choice. Or Pudge, who could hit with his back, just not catch. Where's the logic?Go Nats!!

Anonymous said: "Riggleman wants to lose this series. That's pretty clear. Maybe its a behind-the-back handed favor for his old boss Manny Acta?" For those short on memory, Manny did not hire Riggleman or any one else on his staff last year. On the final day of the preceeding season Jim Bowden fired them all. So save the conspiracy theory and accept what Riggs had said since day one. It is a long season and everyone will play. These are the players he has been given and it is his job to rotate them in. Is there some thought process between mgmt. going on behind the curtain we do not know about? You betcha, and we will see who has earned a spot for the rest of the season by the trade deadline.

What is with these lineups?? Why i'snt mike morse in the lineup but willie harris is?? What is riggelman thinking?? These past two games made me really start to dislike this guy. First it was all the double switches that dont make sence now its these disgusting lineups. I wish i could call the front office and start screaming. They should be embarrassed with these lineups.

Incredibly poor managing. Keep Harris and Kennedy sharp? With Nieves already catching? Isn't the reason they are on the bench in the first place that they aren't good enough to start? So under the guise of "keeping them sharp", when they are already playing poor, is the rationale? Embarrassing and inexcusable for a Rizzo team. Our manager believes not playing equates to causation for their struggles, rather than their true talent which has told us over the course of their careers that this is largely who they are.

Mark,Is Rizzo in the Stands? Can you ask him about what he thinks about the lineups used the last two nights? Are they trying to save Acta's job for him or what? No possible excuse for Kennedy and Harris in the lineup again. NONE! Did you follow up on Rigg's rationalization and what the fans want to know…..is he trying to lose these games?

Riggleman is to blame for the dead energy this team is showing the past two games. Morse should be in the games. Desmond should be playing. Come on this team looks like it looked at the line up card when they got to the park and said f it is Riggs does not care we will just go through the motions. Rizzo has to get some better catching in place soon. No way this team can win with Wil N playing this much.

I realize this is kind of pointless to say but, I was always a Manny Acta fan . I never thought they should have fired him. It wasn't his fault he had a terrible team, I thought he was a fantastic manager.

A baffling lineup to be sure. I say put the batboy on the mound. Couldn't do much worse. Riggo often IMHO overengineers the lineup and defensive switches. But I feel for the guy when he looks at who he's got to throw sometimes

I do not want to here any Riggs BS about how tough Fausto was tonight. Nats line up was the weakest I have seen since 2007 and Robert Fick.Kennedy, Nieves, Harris, Morgan all have proven they can not hit anyone the past month. Save it Riggs, you lost the game before it started. Put Morse and Ian out there and give us a chance please.

For those short on memory, Manny did not hire Riggleman or any one else on his staff last year. On the final day of the preceeding season Jim Bowden fired them all.Actually, Manny did hire Riggleman. At the end of the 2008 season Bowden fired all the coaches (except St Claire) but kept Manny. Simultaneously, Riggleman got fired from the interim mgr job in Seattle. Then Manny hired Riggleman as his new bench coach, with Bowden's approval of course.

Why doesn't Riggs just put three pitchers in the lineup instead of Kennedy, Harris and Nieves? I understand Nieves – I don't like it, but I understand it. But batting Willie sixth in last night's deflating loss sure didn't work, so why do it AGAIN? What does Riggs have against Morse? Seriously? Mark, I hope you or someone else gets a chance to ask Riggleman for a further explanation. Putting Harris and Kennedy in the lineup because they're slumping is bunch of BS. This is a MAJOR LEAGUE baseball game and Riggs' job is to put out the lineup that gives the team the best chance of winning (this sure as heck isn't it), not to do favors and give guys playing time just for the sake of giving them playing time. Unbelievable!!!!

A technical question. The volume level on the Nats telecast (on Verizon FIOS Channel 1) is consistently about 1/2 the level of the other MASN channel. It's been this way for a couple of weeks. I've complained to MASN, & they say they can't tell any difference. Is anyone else experiencing this

If we had a Nats beat writer with b***s, they'd ask Riggleman if he's trying to throw this series!Riiiggght. And Riggleman's motive for that would be what, exactly?It's a long year. I realize that fans live and die with every pitch, inning, and game, but really . . .

If you're a Nats fan, you have to be frustrated. Really no excuse for Pudge not to be at DH when he's not catching. Desi(maybe our best clutch hitter) did not need to be sitting on the bench, and Morse should have been in there at RF, with Bernadina in CF. Now there's 3 offensive players who might have made a differece, if only because there was nobody in their part of the lineup that was better than them!Riggleman will never be anything other than a .500 manager, because that's the way he manages. What's the point of having a front office full of statisticians/sabermetricians, when the manager pays them no heed.

@Arlington Big Fish: Re: the reduced audio on MASN2 on Verizon, I also notice that. The audio is very quiet–until those commercials for Verizon FiOS come on. They will blast you out of your seat.This is not on MASN–it's on Verizon, which still refuses to offer MASN2 in HD, even though their major competitors have all offered the HD version all season.Shame on Verizon for giving us a crappy picture and sub-audible sound in the week that Strasburg makes his debut.At least for tomorrow's game, you can watch the HD version on channel 50.